The wilder the flower, the sweeter the honey.

save water

This image has been going around social media and online news in South Africa, particularly the Cape, in the last week. From 1 February, in the run-up to #DayZero, Capetonians will be restricted to only 50 litres water a day. Have you wondered what that looks like in reality?

In all honesty, I find it easier to plan my water use per week as there are things that don’t happen every day, e.g. laundry.

In the last year or so, I haven’t written much on my blog. After a day of writing at the office, the desire to write after hours is often neither overwhelming nor compelling. But I think this is important. Feel free to catch up with 101 and 201 in the respective links.

For those who don’t know, the beautiful Cape, my home and where I was born and bred, is currently in the grip of a spiralling drought. The city of Cape Town is predicted to be the first major city in the world to run out of water. I’m guessing they mean modern city. Whoever they are.

So, ever the problem-solver, I’ve been wondering how I could step up my game. This is the part where the super-squeamish among you need to close the browser and step away from the screen. Not that I think what I’m about to divulge is unhygienic, but I know the preconceived ideas out there. I know that what I am about to tell is going to gross a few people out because it already has. That said, some people have thought quite the opposite, so I hope to win a few people over because I seldom do things of this nature without good reason.

The water situation in the Cape is pretty dire at the moment, to say the least. Not only have we not had enough rain in the last two winters, but we’ve had some pretty hectic mountain fires in the last week or so, which of course use up a lot of water to kill.

And then, worse than that, are the people who think the water restrictions don’t apply to them. I cannot stress enough how much people need to let go of some comforts at this time. It is quite possible for anyone to do, but requires a small shift in thought and habits. Here are some things I have been doing for some time, and some I have started doing in the last month. They are not difficult and the discomfort level is marginal at first. After a while, you realise that you are one lucky cookie having water so readily accessible, unlike most people in the same municipal district you live in.

Speaking of discomfort levels. They will be exponentially worse once the water does run out.